© Getty Images Sport – Christopher Pike
Elena Rybakina has been through to the Abu Dhabi semifinal after ousting world No. 74 Cristina Bucsa.
Rybakina, the top-seeded player in Abu Dhabi, saw off qualifier Bucsa 6-1 6-4 to make her first semifinal at the WTA 500 event in the United Arab Emirates. Previously, Rybakina was a quarterfinalist in Abu Dhabi in 2021 and 2023.
Rybakina, 24, and 26-year-old Bucsa were playing against each other for the second time. Earlier this year, Rybakina also beat Bucsa 6-2 7-5 in the Adelaide International round-of-16.
How Rybakina defeated Bucsa and who is her next opponent?
Rybakina made an emphatic start against Bucsa, claiming back-to-back breaks en route to winning the opening five games of the match. In the sixth game, Bucsa managed to finally serve out one service game and hold to her serve but it didn’t change much as Rybakina routinely served out for the first set in the following game.
After easily losing the first set, Bucsa started playing much better at the start of the second set and she even claimed her first break of the match in the fourth game for a 3-1 lead. However, Bucsa’s lead was short-lived as Rybakina instantly got the break back in the…
